the headless horseman :: open to all

[Anonymous]

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Hmmm... the forest was certainly quiet this particular morning. Or at least quieter. And considering the nature of the world in light of its rebirth, there was little to be considered unusual either. The celestial inferno associated with the daytime rose lazily into the heavens, ushering forth an azure wave that broke over the previously dismal sky. Birds sang, insects buzzed, the wind blew.. all that usual noise.

Yep, everything regular and unexciting, or so it seemed to the mahogany stallion Tristan, who ambled nonchalantly along the road -though it was barely wide enough to be considered such- that wound through the wood. He plodded methodically onward, his large head swinging ever slightly to either side in synchrony with the birth of each new stride.

He snorted softly, simply to break the obnoxious choruses of the birds, and lolled his tongue out of his mouth, seeking a rest from the bitter taste of the iron bit that protruded from the corners of his lips, held stubbornly into place by a hefty black bridle. Ah, but the bit was only a minor annoyance in contrast to the other indignities he suffered.

Lo, he was clad from muzzle to tail in armor-plating. It covered his face and trailed along the thick crest of his neck, tying into a wide breastplate and back to the empty saddle and over the swell of his hindquarters, with only his sturdy legs left entirely vulnerable. Indeed, he'd known of Adela, for the sheet that clung fervently to his iron-clad body bore its red and black colors, and displayed the great winged dragon.

His master, however, was nowhere to be seen.



[[It's a poor start, but a start nonetheless. I'm just oozing rust -_- Anyone is welcomed to reply, for whatever reason. Want him as a mount? Have him, no one will tell you otherwise. Any use for him is welcome, I'm open minded.]] </center>

[Anonymous]

(Ooo, rust ooze! *pokes* Lol. I just got the most random image of somebody running up and jumping into Tristan's saddle "giddyup!" *shakes head* ^^;;)

Padca was beginning to grow tired of wandering through this forest. True, he disliked crowded places but...
He'd been stuck in the woods for days now. He could only take so much nature before it started to grate on him. And anyway, he needed to get to Ketra. He was running low on money, so it was time to find another wish to grant.

Trekking along on the narrow path, Padca continuously had to rescue his white cape from the clinging briars and vines that lined the path. This cloak didn't open in the front or back, but was put on over his head, and had slightly-belled sleeves to allow him a greater range of movement. The hems were lined in gold coloring, offsetting the white nicely. With his hands covered by white gloves, the only skin that showed was that on his face, the shirt that was hidden under his cloak coming all the way up his neck. That skin was a light chocolate brown, the short blond hair on his head contrasting with the darker color.
Once one was close enough, they would be able to spot his eyes, which were a gray-blue color.

Whatever the reason, he had not expected to run into a riderless horse on this path. Stopping, Padca blinked. Not only was he riderless, but he was decked out in armor. Had there been a battle...?
Suddenly he was not so sure he wanted to make it into town...
And he was also presented with another problem. Glancing around him, the forest and vines were thick on either side of the narrow path. How the heck was he supposed to get out of the way of the ambling horse?? It's impressive stature was pretty much taking up the entire pathway, so he couldn't squeaze around it. And he'd like to turn back, but he did have a living to make...
Crud.

Standing in place, Padca waited for the horse to reach him before taking any sort of action. Luckily, he had experience with horses, and figured he could come up with something...

(Aaaand that was sucky, lol. ^^;;)

[Anonymous]

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Tristan groaned softly as he meandered down the road, stubbornly drawing his fleshy tongue back into the confines of his mouth, and chomped irritably at the sour iron bar. His ears, though partially hidden by a rise in the faceplate, flicked back in a second outward display of his displeasure.

Ah, but the world was better without that ape clinging to his back. For a noble, he was a hopelessly poor rider. One too many jabs in the ribs with crude spurs had given the man a little taste of what it would be like to have wings, before that unpleasant impact with the ground, of course.

The stallion shook his rather large head, his cloth-covered reins flapping wildly with the motion before falling still again, dangling from the bit and mingling with the dust of the beaten trail. He was poised to proceed when his gaze befell the robed man who stood directly in his path, which, considering Tristan's size and current demeanor, was decidedly not a wise decision. But, out of intrigue, the stallion simply walked closer, pausing just before the man.

He seemed odd to the horse, who was accustomed to lowly peasants and headstrong knights, but had never seen such a robe or such a person. His large muzzle was extended to the man's dark face, and he deeply exhaled, his warm breath expelled forcefully from his nostrils in an equestrian greeting. It wouldn't occur to him that such gestures might prove unpleasant to the other party.



[[lol. sucky, nah. besides, I don't want anyone blinding me with their supreme greatness and making me look like a completely lost cause ^_^]]
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[Anonymous]

Well, at least the great equine had stopped. It was always a relief to know you weren't going to meet your end under the hooves of a horse.
Besides, he liked horses. They were one easy way of going fast, which was something that the usually quiet and subdued man loved.

The horse leaned its large head forward and snuffed at him, which was something Padca hadn't expected, but was used to. It was a horse thing.
Moving slowly so as not to startled the creature, he gently rubbed the bottom of it's jaw.
"Seems you lost something." He mused, glancing at the empty saddle. And wasn't all that armor uncomfortable for him to wear...?
Well, if the horse didn't have a rider anywhere in sight, he shouldn't be made to suffer all the strappings of a horse with a mount.

"Pardon me, friend." Again moving with care, Padca began to unbuckle the bridle and face guard on the equine, thinking nothing of whether or not the rider would ever return to the horse. He'd never liked to see horses so heavily covered in all these man made things. Padca was fine riding a horse bareback with a bit-free cloth bridle.
The tricky part was still to come, for as much as he wanted to remove all that other armor, he was going to have to get at the horse's underbelly to reach the buckles and things that needed undoing.
Horses could be skittish about that, and he had no desire to get trompled any time soon. And with such cramped confines, he was going to have to dip between the horse's forelegs to even get to the strappings.

Mm....maybe he was in alittle over his head? No matter, once Padca had decided on something, he wasn't one to change his mind. So he placed a hand against the stallion's broad chest and knelt, glancing at his underside for the belts and holdings he was sure were around somewhere, keeping all that combersome armor on.

(Lol, well no worries there. No supreme greatness here! ^^;; )

[Anonymous]

<center>Tristan's vexed disposition seemed eased by the man's calm hands, his ears slowly rising from their displeasured position to rest at a more unbiased angle. His gaze pitched back as Padca glanced to his saddle, and it seemed a slight, pleasured grin crossed the horses lips.

..but of course it couldn't have happened, as he was merely a horse.

His attention was drawn back to the man as he spoke, and the mahogany horse seemed much obliged to allow the removal of the encumbering armor and bridle, eagerly releasing the bit and smacking his lips, trying to rid himself of its bitter taste. He shook his head, and his long forelock fell over his face in a single, thick braid, reaching almost to his muzzle.

His gaze followed Padca's movements as he bent to look at his underbelly, and he stood patiently, almost expectantly. He seemed quiet enough, and fidgeted not. He shifted slightly, spacing his broad hooves in a more accommodating fashion.



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[Anonymous]

Well...
...This was working out well.
It seemed the horse was as eager to be rid of the armor as Padca was to remove it. Perfect.
Shuffling under the horse, Padca took great care not to get dirt smeared all over his white robes, and took to unbuckling/unclasping/unwhatevering anything he found before shiftinig himself back out from under the horse.
It was just a matter of muscling the large plates of armor off of the horse.

This basically involved Padca doing alot of tugging, and then just barely managing to lead it off to the side of the path. One piece after another. And another...and another...
But the time Padca had managed to get everything off of the horse, there was a sheen of sweat on his dark brow and he was panting alittle.
"There we are. No more annoying armor." And he gave the stallion's side a small pat, standing among the discarded plates of armor off to the side of the trail.

Well...at least now he had a way to get by the horse, right...?
But there was something nagging at the back of his mind. There was just...something abou this horse...
What was it...???

[Anonymous]

<center>Tristan was a willing patient, standing quietly as the copious layers of heavy iron plates were pulled from his back and neck. Aside from the weight and suffocation of the primitive devices, the buckles had a nasty way of pinching and chafing in the most uncomfortable fashion. Indeed, it was a rare horse who would endure such discomfort, and a rarer horse who would want to keep it on. So perhaps there was nothing odd about the horse at all.

Once entirely free of the armor, his great head bent toward his breast, and his hind legs, one after the other, extended a distance behind him in a satisfactory stretch, relieving the aches and stiffness left behind by the bothersome equipment. His master certainly wouldn't be happy to find all of that expensive armor just thrown -or rather, tediously drug- into the brush, but he was well enough behind that it likely wouldn't raise problems.. not problems that Tristan couldn't quickly remedy, anyhow.

His impressive size was actually greatly his own, and even bare of armor he stood a good eighteen hands -about six feet- at his wither, and certainly the high crest of his neck heavily added to his height. Perhaps this is how the stallion found himself beneath the knight's armor in the first place?

Tristan nodded at Padca's words -likely coincidental- snorting softly. His thick mane lay plastered along both sides of his neck, glued by sweat and sheer pressure to every fiber of his coat. He too, wore a layer of sweat, though his was not due to labor, but simply the stuffiness of the plating. Ah, it felt excellent to have the wind's cool fingers caress him again. His nostrils flared, and he shifted a little to the side, eyeing Padca with anticipation. Apparently, he was not expecting to simply continue on his merry way.


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[Anonymous]

It wasn't often that Eruanna did venture to parts like this, little nooks of Ketra. In truth, her home was back near Arca. It was something that she did, to wander hither and thither, observing mortals. Presently she observed this scene between man and horse from behind an abandoned booth, nearly appearing as a strange vendor. Of course, she did tend to stand out on occasion that she did not hide her patterns. About her jawline were curved etchings, all of which did glow blue. It was up to her blonde hair to hide it all. This day clad in the garment of a peasant, hoping to blend better, she had gone about wandering between folks and the higher class alike. Her nobility was hidden so that she may see how people would see her and treat her. Not the smallest broach or jewel could be found on her person.

Knowing the speech of animals and all tongues of men alike, she listened contently, never once planning to say anything until she finally decided that these two creatures might be able to keep her mind from all the remembering it did. It took little thought to walk over, silently and softly as she desired. Her feet covered in worn, cloth sandels met the soft earth with each step.

"Salutations." Said she, speaking in their tongue. "I have been observing thee." Indeed, her speech was in an older style, mainly due to her age. Things change rapidly over the course of five-hundred years.

[Anonymous]

Padca eventually shrugged off his feeling, looking over the great equine before him. Quite a magnificent animal, to be sure.
He wished he had something with which to whipe the animal down, but for his own reasons, didn't like to remove his cloak.
Or any other article of his clothing, for that matter.
Well, they could just be sweaty together then.

He gave the horse another well-meaning pat, and was ready to make his way past the horse when the fates interjected.
Blinking at the woman who had approached them so silently, Padca's face didn't reflect much emotion. Then again, he prefered to keep a straight face whenever possible.
He gave a bow of the head to her.
"Hello. I-" Then he blinked a few times. Watching them??
Okay...
"Oh. Well...I did not think our little meeting was particularly exciting." He said with a soft smile, rubbing at the back of his head with one gloved hand.

Well, then again...it wasn't every day that a traveling man decided to relieve a wandering horse of some cumbersome armor. Especially not on some tiny forest path in the near middle of nowhere.

(Lol, sorry...Couldn't think of anything! >_<)

[Anonymous]

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Tristan accepted the pat with a quiet appreciation, his great head bobbed gently. He straightened, and fervently shook his neck, freeing sections of his quite-secured mane, which landed in a rogue, tousled mass upon the magnificent arch of his crest. He'd cool rather quickly simply being exposed to the open air, and seemed not worried about it in the slightest. He was rather content, as is.

As the woman approached them down the path, the mahogany stallion was none the wiser. He had taken upon himself the task of getting turned around in such quarters. He carefully brushed passed Padca, seeming careful not to soil his gleaming white robe.. doubtful it was hard enough to keep such things clean in the woods without a very large sweaty horse rubbing up against them.

Skillfully, Tristan worked himself into a most unnatural-looking bend, slowly shuffling his broad hooves beneath and minding his head, lest he be struck by some unexpected branch, or just clumsily ram himself into something -heaven forbid such a display- and methodically continued until he was facing in the opposite direction.

Seeming quite satisfied with himself, he took a stride in Padca's direction, when the woman's voice seized his sudden attention, and caught him quite by surprise.

"Huh?" A deep, reverberating voice rose from behind the man, though it was obviously not his own. Whoops.

To turn back, would be to see a nonchalant stallion quietly inspecting the haphazard mass of armor and equipment tucked against the thicket. He seemed to pay no mind or heed to their sudden visitor, electing to prod at his saddle instead.



[[ eeeh.. there was nothing about this post that I liked, sorry 'bout that. ooow, damnit. the eyelid is very sensitive to pinching.. *twitch* ]]
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[Anonymous]

((Will you guys be heading off to an inn? I'm so bored and want to jump in now...hell, if not then PM me and I'll delete this post ^^))

Kasumi Tempest finished the song, and bowed as the last echoes of her voice faded away with the dying chords. Silence for a second, then a smattering of applause. One standing ovation from a drunk in the corner, a battered rose tossed at her feet from the vase on the table to her right...Mr Greeb wouldn't be too happy. She glanced at the bartender, but he was busy serving and renting out rooms for the night.

Ah well. Stepping gracefully off the stage, she brushed a few strands of her brown tinted hair back behind her ears, letting her emerald eyes travel across the small room. The people had already forgotten about her, apart from a fat half gremlin who sprawled across his seat and literally slobbered as she walked past. She smiled nervously at him, and he ran his fingers through her long hair, letting the hair fall when he came to the base of her spine. Kasumi jerked away from him and almost ran to the bar, the laughter trailing behind her making her spine tingle.

It looked as if it was going to storm soon. Maybe after her break more people would arrive to listen to her.

((Erm, I didn't want my charrie to randomly bump into you guys as three random encounters seems to be tempting the Gods...if you want, you could continue your RP and I'll just post from in the inn, unless anyone objects...whereupon I'll delete this ^^))

[Anonymous]

Her curiousity was slightly sparked by the horse with whom the man seemed to have connected. A gust of wind swept by and quietly she read it for information. "Forgive me, I have failed to introduce myself. I am Eruanna." It seemed a random moment to recall such, but it didn't matter to her. Not much seemed to matter anymore. The worries and woes of the world did not belong to her. The day she was speared might become the day she left this earth at long last, to rest in eternity. If there were battles and wars, it made no difference. She had seen many over the ages and they did not affect her. It seemed that they were none of her concern as she could just as easily conceal herself and disappear until they ceased.

Though her eternal youth was unknown to many, it was evident in her appearance. She trod the earth as though she were twenty summers old, yet worn eyes peering out from the mantle of her face betrayed that illusion, showing signs of wisdom having seen much. "And what are your names?" Said her soft, content voice from her parting lips. She spake to both man and beast and peered at them with a strange silence.

[ooc: i know, she's a strange character. 0.0]

[Anonymous]

(To Nightshade: Padca will be, once he gets into town and out of this foresty area. So don't worry, you just gotta wait a wee bit, lol ^^)

Padca hadn't expected the horse to follow him, but wasn't going to complain either. Any companionship was better than loneliness, even if it was from a beast that could not speak.
But Padca liked silence, so it was of no concern to him whether his companion had words or not.

However, words there were, for the deep voice behind him actually made him jerk alittle in surprise. His head turned, but all to be seen was the horse, apparently quite interested in his discarded armor.
Horses didn't talk...right...?
So what the hell had that been??
He would have pondered it longer, but the woman was speaking to him, and he was forced to turn around.

Padca bowed his head to her slightly in a polite gesture.
"A pleasure to meet you Eruanna. I am Padca Heis. And I do not know the horse's name."
He was not ashamed to admit he had not a name for the great stallion. Although that would make it obvious the horse was not his...
Oh well.
"And where are you headed ma'am? If you are headed for the city of Ketra, I would be much obliged to accompany you."
Padca had always been raised to be polite to others, especially women. By now, he sort of did it on impulse. She was a lady, and may be traveling in the same direction as he. In such a case, he should offer to escort her.
And so he did.

Though that mysterious voice still wandered around the back of his head, being chewed over by his brain.
Horses couldn't talk....
Or at least, normal horses couldn't...

[Anonymous]

<center>[[ running with the assumption that she used 'horse language' as well when asking their names.. kick me if I'm wrong ]]


Tristan seemed quite infatuated with his investigation of the off-cast armor, the saddle in particular. Evidently he was searching for something, rather avidly too. Truth be told, he had located the items he sought, but was having much difficulty in freeing them.. blasted buckles, always a nuisance. He grew tired of this tedious nipping and tugging, and grabbed hold of a parcel of some kind between blunt teeth, getting a firm grip. He lifted a broad hoof, dust billowing from the thick feathering about it, and thrust it onto the seat of the saddle while quickly jerking his head back. With a creak and snap, the parcel hung in his mouth, broken straps included. He repeated the process once more with cheerful fervor, greatly enjoying his victory over the saddle, and rendering it damaged and useless in the process. Win win.

Victorious, he returned to Padca with a small sack and saddlebag clasped carefully in his mouth.. how else is a horse to carry such things? His deep chocolate-toned eyes were alive with mirth -obviously proud of his mastery of those cumbersome human contraptions- His great head craned over Padca's shoulder, and he deposited the parcels into his hands.

The saddlebag contained a day's ration, and the sack a few pieces of silver and one of gold. Obviously his knight had not been on the path to war.. or he was of a desolate mind. Or both, anything is possible.

It was then that his attention shifted again to the woman, who spoke both common and a language of the horses.. curious that, but Tristan had come across many a strange being in his time, so he was quite less than startled, pleasantly surprised, more like. He paused, and glanced to each of their faces in turn, seeming to be contemplating something.. weighing his options. Odd, usually those who came across him where quick to give him a name, even a terribly demeaning one, just to have something to call him. Well, Tristan was not about to be called 'the horse' any longer than necessary.

"The horse's name, is Tristan." And there came that deep voice, in quite well spoken common, laced with the hearty reverberance expected from a speaker of generous size. And lo, the horse's lips had clearly mouthed the words. Looking quite pleased, his chocolate-toned eyes rose to meet those of the woman, and then fell to survey Padca.

Mmm, Tristan did love a good bar of chocolate, perhaps they'd find some in Ketra.



[[ ok that was a really lame and early way to give out a secret, yes, but I wanted to get him talking, more fun for me that way ^_^  ..ok I'm adding this little explaination. Tristan speaks common humanoid language. he can identify the verbal horse language, but cannot understand it. he can only communicate to other animals through silent gestures. eventually, he'll happily explain why ^_^ ]]</center>

[Anonymous]

((Haha, I'll wait for the meeting, but may as well get the whole history/bio thing off my chest now))

Kasumi returned to the stage, only after making sure the fat half gremlin had gone. Well, he was asleep, slobbering at the table so it was an improvement. She felt sorry for whoever would have to clean up. Her eyes flicked to the window, and she felt that she ought to finally move on, but was slightly sad at leaving Mr Greeb, seeing as the bartender had let her stay for next to nothing. The sound of her voice was enough.

Kasumi never could settle down, after originally being driven out of her village by the other girls, who had been oh so jealous. Malicious rumours and vindictive faces had followed her every move, until she couldn't take it any longer. The last one had particularly upset her. "Filthy half-breed." She was human; both her parents were, so why did they all think she had faerie blood in her veins?

Everybody needs lies to make themselves feel better. But it is only the liar who ends up deluded.

Sighing, she raised her eyes, and began to sing again.

((Can Tristan actually speak the language humans can undertsand, or can he only speak horse language? *places tracker on thread*))

[Anonymous]

[[She did, her speech is magical enough I guess. When she speaks, the words come out in the language of the listener, which many vary from creature to creature if that makes any sense.]]

Quite humored that the horse, Tristan, had spoken she dipped her head politely. "It is certainly a delight to meet you my equine friend. His battle with the saddle had amused her, though it seemed that she hadn't been paying attention. A laugh inched towards the surface of her visage, but never did erupt. As though the horse's speech had been a small thing, she returned her blue-eyed gaze to Padca but still spoke to both beings, "Well, I wander alone often, and would not mind thine company. Tristan will come with us will he not? I would be rather pleased if thou would accompany me." A rich accent seemed to flow over her tongue when heard in any human language. Her world-travels had caused her this, something that would likely stay with her wherever she went, no matter how long she stayed there.

When at last she could hear the roll of thunder in the distance, she was joyous. In maybe a few hours rain would pitter-patter up and down the trails and moisten the dry grasses. The miracle was something that gave life to crops and plant-life. With her love of the green things of the earth, she couldn't help but feel happy. It seemed to bubble up inside of her, a sort of swelling glee. Something not commonly detected in Eruanna's unreadable face. However, she kept silent, only the scent of such emotions whizzing into the air. Yes, feelings were airomatics in a sense. At least certain types of animals could trace such smells. Even the immortal Eru was helpless to disguise herself from them. If ever she attempted to morph, they would always see her for what and who she was.

[Anonymous]

(Bah, sorry for the delay! ^^;; )

Padca felt the large horse's neck bump him just moments before something was dropped at him. His gloved hands just barely managed to catch the two bags against his chest, not having expected the horse to have them in his mouth.
Uh...
Blinking, Padca's curiosity took over and he had to look through them. The first held food, which come to think of it, Padca had not eaten in awhile...
The second contained coins. Blinking, Padca got that distinct feeling about the horse again.
There was something not normal here...
What horse picks the two things of value off of its own saddle gear and deposits them, quite skillfully, into a stranger's hands??

Of course, his answer came soon enough.
"The horse's name, is Tristan."
Ok, that had most definately come from directly behind him. Which meant...
That had most definately come from the horse!
Craning his neck around, he blinked blankly at the equine for a moment before he managed to force his voice to work.
"Oh...well...ah....Nice to meet you Tristan."
This...was just strange...
Well, then again, with the things he had seen, the things he could make...maybe he shouldn't be so surprised.

He grinned alittle, then turned back to the woman as she spoke. Her accent was curious, but it seemed to fit her persona.
Padca smiled and bowed his head alittle.
"Alright then."
He looked back at Tristan then, just to see what his response would be. To be honest, he felt it would be rather interesting if he accompanied them.

[Anonymous]

Eruanna began walking, shrouded in silence, her gaze downcast. At this time she seemed remote as though thinking deeply about something. Her thoughts trailed and became randomly generated, as though to amuse herself. Yet rather she was considering something. Walking with mortals was something she had not done for a long while. Although it was not entirely obvious as to who she was, hiding her glowing patterns as she willed, there was a strange grace in her steps. She did not rush and did not wallow about. A different glow settled about her as she went, something nearly unnoticeable yet at the same time, unearthly and possibly unsettling. Looking over her shoulder with a soft expression on her visage, she spoke as she would with friends, but this time only in a tongue that the horse could understand, "What tale have thee to tell, valiant Tristan?"

She hoped that this would not make Padca feel as though he were being left out of things, but it took less concentration to speak in a single language, rather than two at once. It seemed to be a strange gift, uncommon maybe. She enjoyed languages more than many things, and knowing them all she could converse with anyone she pleased. There were the newer dialects of tongues that she was less likely to know, and her fluency in many languages seemed to falter as she hadn't spoke in them in a while. Nonetheless, around this land or the area at least, she could talk with anyone.

[Anonymous]

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Tristan, though apprehensive at first about revealing his uncanny mastery of the common tongue, seemed quite pleased with the response the knowledge had roused from his newfound friend -or so Tristan has appointed him- Padca. The corners of his plushy lips rose into the makings of a subtle grin, snorting softly. His effervescent gaze lifted from the robed man as the mysterious woman spoke, nodding softly, though not thoroughly understanding her speech. His keen ears flicked forward, intrigued as she again addressed them both.

An invite? What a wonderful change for a creature who spent his life within the binds of oppressive ownerships. Indeed, he was typically capable of relieving himself of a particularly unpleasant situation..as demonstrated by his most recently abandoned rider, but simply being given the option outright was vastly different than anything he'd ever been accustomed to. The stallion eyed each of his acquaintances in turn, seeming unable to comprehend this new freedom. At last, his great head dipped in outward display of his consent. "I would be delighted to accompany you both to Ketra."

He paused a moment, allowing Padca and Eruanna a slight lead. Obviously, they'd not be able to comfortably travel shoulder to shoulder on so narrow a path, so he elected himself to bring up the rear, and followed contently in their wake. He took heed of the woman's words, but didn't understand a single one. "I appreciate the consideration, lady Eruanna, but I do not understand horsespeak. Please, feel free to use Common." The low, growling roar of distant thunder piqued the mahogany stallion's attention -he was not a soul who entirely enjoyed meandering down a muddy road in the driving rain- He shifted, tossing his head gently. At this pace, they'd be soaked to the bone by the time they reached the village.

Carefully, he wedged himself between the tangle of branches and underbrush and Padca, reaching forward and gently touching his muzzle to Eryanna's shoulder to get the both of their attentions. He eased himself into a kneel, one foreleg extended and the other bent to support his physique. "I don't care to be rained on, please, climb aboard."



[[ yeah I don't like this post either, just trying to hurry it along a little bit ]]
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[Anonymous]

Well, it seemed that they were all in agreement! So, with a slight smile to both his companions, Padca started forward with Eruanna, allowing Tristan to bring up the rear as the horse desired. And quite to the contrary, Padca did not feel left out. He too was a master of languages, though not any particular to animals, and was content to just listen to the sounds. Besides, he was perfectly happy to remain silent and walk along this wooded path. Just having company was good enough for him. He did not have to make idle chat the entire way through.

The low rumble of thunder in the distance did catch Padca's attention. He did not care to be rained on any more so than Tristan, but wasn't one to ask his companions to pick up the pace.
Luckily, he did not have to, for Tristan seemed eager to be on their way.
Padca stopped as the horse wedged himself between his shoulder and the brush, and it took a moment to realize Tristan was going on one knee to allow them to get on.
His invitation was met with a smile and a slight bow.
"Thank you very much Tristan."
Mmm, now here came the hard part. Get on first, or allow lady Eruanna to get on first? If she were to sit behind him,she would undoubtably hold onto him when they rode, and he was not okay with that.
He greatly disliked being touched.

So instead, he took a step back to allow Eruanna access to Tristan's broad back. "Ladies first?"

(Bah, crappy post! >_<)